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A power of attorney is a document by which a principal authorises an agent to act for them within the limits it sets. In litigation, a lawyer's power of attorney is issued electronically through Najiz or by a notarisation body, and it must state expressly the powers that Article 51 of the Law of Procedure before Sharia Courts requires special authorisation for, such as acknowledgment, settlement and waiver.
Written by the O AI editorial team from the official texts. Last reviewed:
This page is general information, current as of October 2026. It is not legal advice: have a licensed lawyer review any document before you rely on it.
A lawyer's power of attorney, or litigation power of attorney, is an authorisation a principal gives a lawyer to appear, plead and defend for them in one or more cases. It entitles the agent to the acts and procedures needed to pursue the case, plead, defend and deny, except what needs special authorisation or the principal excludes (Regulation 51/1).
The power of attorney meant here is the notarised one issued through Najiz or by a notarisation body, not a paper the parties write themselves. So the structure on this page is a guide to what you decide when it is issued, not a ready-made power of attorney.
You need one whenever someone else appears for you in court. The parties attend in person or through someone acting for them, and if that person is an agent, they must be entitled to act as an agent under the law (Article 49).
The power of attorney sets who the principal is, who the agent is, and what is delegated. The powers matter most: Article 51 bars the agent, when the principal is not present, from specific acts such as acknowledgment, waiver and settlement unless the power of attorney gives special authorisation for them; what the agent states in the principal's presence counts as the principal's own unless the principal denies it in the same session.
| Item | What is set | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Principal | Name and ID number, and capacity if acting for another, such as a company manager | Regulation 49/2 |
| Agent | Name and ID number, and entitlement to act as an agent | Article 49 |
| Subject | A specific case, or litigation before the courts in general | Regulation 51/1 |
| Special powers | Acknowledgment, waiver, settlement, accepting, administering or returning an oath, abandoning the case, waiving the judgment in whole or in part or a means of appeal, lifting an interdiction, releasing a pledge while the debt remains, alleging forgery, recusing a judge, and choosing or rejecting an expert | Article 51 |
| Right to delegate | The agent may not appoint another unless that right is stated | Regulation 50/4 |
| Term | It stays valid unless limited by time or task or ended for a lawful reason | Regulation 51/2 |
The agent must declare that they appear for the principal and lodge a certified copy of the power of attorney with the competent clerk; the court may allow them until the first pleading session at the latest (Article 50). The number, date and issuer of the power of attorney are recorded in the court record (Regulation 51/3).
If the plaintiff's agent does not present the power of attorney at the first session they attend, the plaintiff is treated as absent. If the agent presents one that does not authorise the act required, the circuit tells them to complete what is missing (Regulations 50/2 and 50/3).
Sample structure
What you decide when the power of attorney is issued through Najiz or by the notarisation body. The boxes are options to choose from; this is not a valid power of attorney.
Sample structure: headings and placeholder fields, not a completed legal document
[Full name], [ID number]
[Capacity if acting for another, e.g. manager of [company name] under its articles of association]
[Full name], [ID number]
[Lawyer's licence number]
[Case no. ... before ... court] or [claims, pleading and defence before the courts in general]
[ ] Pleading, defence, denial and what is needed to pursue the case
[ ] Acknowledgment [ ] Waiver [ ] Settlement
[ ] Accepting, administering and returning an oath
[ ] Abandoning the case [ ] Waiving the judgment or a means of appeal
[ ] Alleging forgery [ ] Recusing a judge [ ] Choosing or rejecting an expert
[ ] The agent may appoint another [ ] The agent may not
[Unlimited] or [until ...] or [until case no. ... ends]
Before you file or sign
FAQ
It is issued electronically through the Ministry of Justice's Najiz platform, or by a notarisation body. When issuing it you set the agent's details, the subject, the powers and the term, and the lawyer then uses it before the court.
No, unless it states them. Article 51 of the Law of Procedure before Sharia Courts bars the agent, when the principal is not present, from acknowledgment, waiver, settlement and other acts unless the power of attorney gives special authorisation for them; what the agent states in the principal's presence counts as the principal's own unless the principal denies it in the same session.
It stays valid unless limited by time or task or ended for a lawful reason, and the circuit may, when needed, check that it is still valid or ask for it to be renewed (Regulation 51/2).
Only if the power of attorney states the right to appoint another, because the Implementing Regulations of the Law of Procedure before Sharia Courts provide that an agent may not appoint another unless that right is stated (Regulation 50/4).
Rushd has a powers-of-attorney feature in the Basic plan, so the firm keeps its clients' powers of attorney in the same workspace as their cases, and the team finds the one it acts under in one place.
Keep clients' powers of attorney in Rushd with their contracts and cases, so the team finds them when it needs them.
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